CASE REPORT article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Psychological Therapy and Psychosomatics
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1555591
Remission of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy in Support of Exposure and Response Prevention: A Retrospective Case Report
Provisionally accepted
- 1Mental Health Keto, Vancouver, United States
- 2Well Supported Behavioral Health, PLLC, Greenwich, CT, United States
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Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and disabling condition that frequently resists standard interventions, including SSRIs and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). This case study explores the adjunctive use of ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT) in conjunction with ERP for a 26-year-old man with treatment-resistant OCD characterized by the symmetry/ordering symptom dimension. The patient achieved remission of OCD symptoms and sustained improvements in mood, emotional regulation, and quality of life.Methods: A 26-year-old male with treatment-resistant OCD self-treated with a modified ketogenic diet and psychotherapy assisted ERP over 12 weeks. The diet featured a 1.5:1 macronutrient ratio (fat:protein+carbohydrates), self-monitored for nutritional ketosis (ketone levels ≥0.8 mmol/L), and included daily symptom tracking. ERP targeted symmetry/orderingrelated compulsions. Symptom severity was assessed using the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Long-term outcomes were evaluated over a 95-week follow-up.: Within three weeks of initiating KMT and subsequent ERP, daily compulsive behaviors decreased from 3-8 hours to less than one hour. Significant reductions in DOCS symmetry/ordering subscale scores were sustained at 95 weeks. Concurrent improvements were observed in emotional distress, measured by DASS-21, with all subscale scores normalizing by week 7. Qualitative feedback highlighted enhanced emotional regulation, sleep quality, and ERP engagement, attributed to the ketogenic diet. Conclusion: This case demonstrates rapid and sustained remission of OCD symptoms with the use of KMT and ERP. The findings suggest that KMT may provide a metabolic foundation that enhances the efficacy of ERP. Further research is warranted to explore the potential role of KMT in treatment-resistant OCD.
Keywords: ketogenic metabolic therapy, Ketogenic Diet, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, exposure and response prevention, ERP, metabolic psychiatry, case report
Received: 09 Jan 2025; Accepted: 27 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Laurent and Tague. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Nicole Laurent, Mental Health Keto, Vancouver, United States
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